What is it about?

An archaeologist-art historian and an it scientist specialised in the restoration of architectural and artistic heritage present the scheme of a multidisciplinary research project concerning a long-debated monument, the so-called St. Hippolytus’ statue of the Vatican Library. Inspired by some questions and observations arising from different fields of humanistic sciences, we created a virtual 3d model of the statue. In this paper we propose some ways to exploit it as a research instrument.

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Why is it important?

The multidisciplinary project we launch with this initiative will be one of the first trials to use a virtual 3d model not only for the purpose of communication, i.e. of visual rendering of acquired results, but also as an instrument for humanistic research itself. Thanks to the insight given by this, we hope to acquire a more precise view of the practice of reusing remnants of ancient monuments, as well as the reception of Classical artistic models in the Late Renaissance. We also aim to propose a new reading of the inscriptions present on the monument, including a reconsideration of their contents in relation with the history of early Easter calculations and the beginnings of a Christian historiography.

Perspectives

In recent months, based on the initiative outlined in this paper, a research project took shape under the aegis of the Vatican Apostolic Library and the Vatican Museums, with the participationof archaeologists, art historians, experts of Late Antique and early ecclesiastical history, epigraphists and palaeographers. The first results of our joint inquiries will be presented to the scientific community at a conference expected in 2024.

Ágnes Bencze
Pazmany Peter Katolikus Egyetem

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This page is a summary of: The Vatican Library’s “Statue of Saint Hippolytus” Revisited, The Vatican Library Review, June 2023, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/27728641-00201003.
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